When does it run?

There is a mandatory induction evening to attend which is on Wednesday 1st May at 7:30pm.

The following Saturday, (4th May), will be the first training day, from 10am to 5pm. Training continues every Saturday until the weekend of 1st & 2nd June, where we use both Saturday and Sunday to finish the course and sign everyone off. This also gives you a chance to see club life in full swing and be introduced to other club members!

How does this compare?

Normal cost of membership £272

Joining fee. £20

6 days training £300

Logbook and certificates £8

With Academy membership you can have extra training sessions if needed to bring you up to Basic Skills level without extra charge (normally extra sessions are charged at £25 per day)

And hiring a club Pico costs £10 every time you want to go sailing for those not in the Academy.

Add all of these up and you can see that Academy membership really is a good deal.

Plus you would be joining a club with an active social programme, our own bar and galley facilities. With a whole year to see if you really are keen to carry on with the sport of sailing. All for just £370!

So come on, join us and look forward to a year of Sailing at Eastbourne, making new friends and enjoying a great sport.

Is there a level of fitness required?

In general, sailing is a fantastic sport which is accessible to all people regardless of their disabilities or levels of fitness across the UK.

However, Eastbourne Sovereign Sailing Club does not have any slipway access and uses adult single handed boats for training. As such a good level of fitness is required. This can be compared to walking up and down a shingle beach carrying bags unaided and climbing out of a swimming pool without the use of a ladder.

If you are concerned about your ability to complete this course please arrange a chat with one of our instructors before booking onto the course. Due to the limited availability of this course we are unable to offer refunds should you choose not to complete the course.

What happens after I complete the training?

Most boats sailed at the club are owned by members. Often there are opportunities to crew for someone, and this provides a good way of trying out different boats before buying one for yourself.

The club boats are also available for you to use free of charge on club sailing days for the remainder of your 12 months membership. This is an excellent way of gaining more experience with others who have recently started the sport. The boats are available on Wednesday evenings, all day Sunday and, subject to availability, on Saturdays.